Perforating machine



Aug. 2, 1938. c. E. NEWTON 2,125,803 `PERFOMTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 3, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 4 awww@ Aug. 2, 1938, c. E. NEWTON PERFORATING MACHINE Filed Jan. 3, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 2, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,125,803 PERFORATING MACHINE Charles E. Newton, Brockton, Mass. Application January 3, 1936, Serial No. 57,393

13A Claims.

The present invention relates to perforating machines which are used in the manufacture of shoes to form ornamental cutouts and Ventilating openings in shoe parts.

Generally, these perfcrating machines are provided with a bed, a presser member having a work-engaging face mounted for movement toward and away from thebed, and a die structure having upstanding cutting edges interposed between the bed and the presser member to pierce the shoe part placed between the die structure and the presser member. As rst constructed, the die structure was mounted to slide, like a drawer, on the bed into and out of position beneath the presser member. Later, in order to operate upon made shoe uppers closed by the back seam, it was considered advisable to support the die structure upon an elevated structure called an anw'l, which was mounted to slide, clear of the lateral sides of the machine, into and out of position beneath the presser member. Many perforating' machines providedwith die supportingistructures of the anvil type went into commercial use. For some time past, however, shoe manufacturers have preferred to employ die structures of the original at bed type in the perforating machines/of the anvil type, and in consequence it has been necessary to provide the top of theanvil with a guideway to receive the die structures of the flat bed type and guide them in their horizontal movement from and to aposition of clearance to and from a position of pressure, respectively.

This guideway is fixed to the top of the anvil and in consequence it has become the standard practice for the commercial die makers who furnish shoe manufacturers with the die structures to standardize the bases thereof so that they will lit interchangeably the xed guideway in the perforating machine. In making die structures in which' the cutting elements are tubes, for instance, the die structure base supports two plates, one called the top or tube plate and the other the bottom or tube rest plate which is interposed between the top' plate and the base. These three parts must all be drilled in accordance with the design to be perforated in the shoe part. The top plate is drilled to receive the tubes. The bottom plate andthe base are drilled to allow the punchings within the tubes to pass out of the die structure.

Because ofthe practice of providing the per- `forating machine with a fixed die Structure lguideway, it has become the practice for the die makers to employ a die structure base having a standard width and thickness. 'I'he thickness of the standard base must be suicient to prevent the base from becoming weakened through the drilling therethrough of the greatest number of holes necessary for the most complex design of tubes. But many of the perforation designs required by the shoe manufacturer are simple and in consequence the number of holes required to be drilled through the die structure base is small and the holes may be close together, relatively to the width of the base. Heretofore, the base in a die structure for forming simple perforation designs has been as thick and wide as'a'base in a die structure for forming the most complex design perforations. Actually, the standard die structure bases approach twenty pounds in Weight, thus putting the shoe manufacturer to undue expense and his operatives to a heavy burden in removing the die structures from the machines, in replacing them with other die structures and in otherwisehandling them.

The 'principal object of the present invention is to provide a perforating machine with means for receiving different sizes of die structures,

thus to permit the makers thereof to reduce the size of the die structure bases to the size actually required by the particular design to be perforated in the shoe part.

It has been proposed heretofore to reduce the weight of the standard die structure base by the use of some light metal such, for instance, as an aluminum alloy. While these aluminum alloy bases have eased the burden of the operatives, their cost is high and they bounce on the anvil top after leach perforating operation.

Accordingly, another object of the present invention is to provide a perforating machine with means for obviating the tendency of light Weight die structure bases to bounce after each perforating operation.

To the accomplishment of `these objects the various features of the present invention reside in certain devices, constructions and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and then pointed out in detail in the appended claims.

'Ihe various features of the present invention will be readily understood from an inspection of the accompanying drawings illustrating the best form Yof the invention at present known to the inventor, in which,

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a perforating machine;

Fig. 2 is a detail view in porting structure;`

plan of the die sup- Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view on the line 3 3, Fig. 4, of the parts illustrated in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detail View in left side elevation of the parts illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3; and

Fig. 5 is a detail View in sectional elevation on the line 5--5, Fig. 4.

For purposes of disclosure the various features of the present invention are illustrated as being embodied in the perforating machine disclosed in the patent to Knight, No. 1,584,230, May l1, 1926. As shown, (Fig. l), the machineis provided with a bed 6 and a presser member 1, having a work engaging face B, which is reciprocated towards and away from the bed 6 by connections from some suitable source of power. rPis-usual', the bed 6 is provided with a gudeg medially located between opposite lateral edges thereof. Mounted to slide horizontally on the bed 6 is an anvil I0 provided on its bottom with a central groove II which receives the guide 9.

The top of the anvil constitutes a supporting surface for a die structure of the flat bed type provided as usual with a plurality of tubes I3 having upstanding cutting edges. The tubes I3 are carried in the usual manner by a top or tube plate I4 and a bottom or tube rest plate I5. Supported from and above the top plate I4 is a yieldingly mounted stripper plate I6. The plates are secured to a base I1,

The die structure is mounted to slide from a position of clearance to a position of pressure in which latter position the die structure is supported upon the upper surface of the anvil I0. To this end the top of the anvil III is provided with a pair of inverted T ways I8 and I9 (Figs. 2 and 4) extending across the anvil from one side to the other. These ways receive T blocks 2l] and 2I, respectively, depending from a vertical plate 22 the bottom edge of which rests upon the left hand upper surface of the anvil I0. The ways I8 and I9 receive also T blocks 23 and 24 (Fig. 2) depending `from a vertical plate 25 the bottom edge of which rests upon the right hand upper surface of the anvil I0.

During the position of pressure the vertical plates 22 and 25 embrace the lateral edges of the base I1. The plates 22 and 25 are provided with inturned flanges 26 and 21, respectively, the bottom faces of which engage the lateral margins of the base I1 and the end faces of which flanges engage the lateral edges of the plates I4 and I5. It should be understood that the engagement of the plates 22 and 25 and their flanges 26 and 21 With the block I1 and the plates I4 and I5 is such as to hold the die structure Ysubstantially rigid laterally and vertically while permitting the die structure to be slid into and out of its position of pressure upon the upper surface of the anvil I0.

The plates 22 and 25 project forwardly beyond the front face of the anvil I0. From the points of'juncture with the front face of the anvil IU the plates 22-and 25 are provided with inturned ledges 28 and 29, respectively, which in cooperation with the flanges 26 and 21 and the intermediate portion of the plates 22 and 25 form ways 30 and 3l for the base I1 to support and guide the die structure in its movement from the position of pressure into and out of the position of clearance. c

In order to vary the distance between the plates 22 and 25 and thus adapt them to guide die bases I1 varyingin width, the front face of the anvil carries centrally a bracket 32 in which a horizontal rod 33 is journaled. The rod 33 is provided ture properly for the with left and right screw threaded portions 34 and 35 which engage, respectively, internally threaded hubs 36 and 31, formed in wings 38 and 39 depending, respectively, from the plates 22 and 25. The rod 33 on one end is provided with an opening 4|] through which a suitable tool (not shown) may be inserted to facilitate the rotation of the rod 33 in either direction and thus cause the plates 22 and 25 to approach and recede from the median line of the anvil simultaneously and uniformly.

With this construction the die structure base may be reduced to the size actually needed to support the top and bottom plates of the die strucparticular design desired to be perforated in the shoe part. If the design is simple, a small base is ample. As the designs increase in complexity, the size of the base is increased accordingly. By rotating the rod 33 the perforating machine is adapted to receive any size of base required by the industry. By providing the overhanging flanges 2B and 21 the tendency of the light die structure bases to bounce after each perforating operation is obviated.

What is claimed as new, is:

1. In a perforating machine, the combination with an anvil of the type that is supported by the bed of a perforating machine, and a die structure guideway on said anvil comprising movable, spaced guides adapted to slidingly receive and embrace opposite sides, respectively, of the base of any one of a plurality of die structures the base of each of which differs in width from the width of the others, of means for moving the guides simultaneously to vary the space between them appropriately for the width of any one of said die structure bases.

2. In a perforating machine, the combination with an anvil of the type that is supported by the bed of a perforating machine, and a die structure guideway on said anvil comprising movable, spaced guides adapted to slidingly receive and embrace opposite sides, respectively, of the base of any one of a plurality of die structures the base of each of which differs in width from the width of the others, said guides being movable only transversely of the anvil, of means for moving the guides to vary the space between them appropriately for the width of any one of said die structure bases.

3. In a perforating machine, the combination with an anvil of the type that is supported by the bed of a perforating machine, and a plurality of movable, spaced guides adapted to slidingly receive and embrace opposite sides, respectively, of the base of any one of a plurality of die structures the base of each of which differs in width from the width of the others, said guides having bottom portions engaged with the upper surface of the anvil, of means for moving the guides t0- ward or away from one another, while said bottom portions remain engaged with the upper surface of the anvil, to vary the space between the guides approp-riately for the width of any one of said die structure bases.

, 4. In a perforating machine, the combination with an anvil of the type that is supported by the bed of a perforating machine, and a plurality of movable, spaced guides adapted to slidingly receive and embrace opposite sides, respectively, of the base of any one of a plurality of die structures the base of each of which differs in width from the width of the others, said guides having of the anvil, of means for moving the guides simultaneously to vary the space between them appropriately for the Width of any one of said die structure bases while said bottom portions remain engaged with the upper surface of the anvil. 5. In a perforating machine, the combination with an anvil of the type that is supported by the bed of a perforating machine, and a guideway, supported by the anvil, for a die structure having a base, said guideway having movable, spaced guides provided with means coactable with said base to prevent the die structure from bouncing after the perforating operation, of means for moving the guides simultaneously, whereby the space between them is varied in Such manner with respect to the width of any one of said bases that the bounce-preventing means can coact with the said base.

6. In a perforating machine, the combination with of which are adapted to slidingly receive and embrace opposite sides, respectively, of the base of any one of a plurality o-f die structures the base of each of which differs in width from the Width of the others, of means for simultaneously moving said last named portions in accordance with the path determined by the ways to vary the spacebetween said portions appropriately for the width of any one of said die structure bases.

7. In a perforating machine, the combination with an anvil of the type that is supported by the 4Iced of a perforating machine, of means for locating centrally upon the anvil any one of a number of die structures the base of each of which Adiffers in width from the Width of the others, said locating means comprising movable, spaced guides adapted to slidingly receive and embrace opposite sides, respectively, of any given one of said bases and means for moving the guides simultaneously to vary the space between them appropriately for the width of said given base to effect therefor the slidable receptability and embracement stated.

8. In a perforating machine, the combination with an anvil of the type that is supported by the bed of a perforating machine, and a guideway, supported by the anvil, for a die structure having a base, said guideway being provided with movable, spaced guide portions adapted to slidingly receive and embrace opposite sides, respectively, of any given one of a plurality of die` structure bases, each of said bases differing in width from the width of the others, said guideway also being provided with portions, movable with said first named portions, adapted to overlie the margins of the opposite sides of said given die structure base, of means for moving the guide simultaneously to vary the space between the guideway portions on one side of a base and the guideway portions on the other said base appropriately for the width of any given one of said bases.

9. In a perforating machine, the combination with an anvil, of the type that is supported by the bed of a perforating machine, having ways formed in its upper surface, and a guideway comprising movable, spaced guides supported on said surface for sliding-movement thereon and having portions slidable in said ways, of means mounted independently of said portions for sliding said portions in said ways and said guides along said surface.

10. In a perforating machine, the combination with an anvil, of the type that is supported by the bed of a perforating machine, having ways formed supported from the anvil independently of said portions for sliding said portions in said ways and said guides along said surface.

11. In a perforating machine, the combination with an anvil, of the type that is supported by guideway to the path determined by the ways, cooperating with the slide blocks and mounted independently thereof for sliding said guideway portions and blocks as determined by the ways to effect the embracement stated.

12. In a perforating machine, the combination comprising an anvil, of the type that is supported by the bed of a perforating machine, having ways formed in its upper surface, a guideway for a die structure having a base adapted to be supported by said surface, said guideway having portions resting on said surface and adapted to slide therealong into embracement with opposite sides, respectively, of the die structure base as it is supported on said surface, said guideway also having portions adapted to overlie the margins of said base sides, respectively, said rlrst named guideway portions having secured thereto slide blocks located in said ways to constrain the sliding of the guideway portions to the path determined by the ways, and means cooperating with the slide blocks and mounted independently thereof for sliding said guideway portions and blocks as thereon by embracing opposite sides, respectively, of said base and portions extending forwardly of the anvil for slidably receiving and supporting the die structure by its base preliminary to its positioning on said surface, of means mounted independently of those guideway portions that are slidable in said with said portions for CHARLES E. NEWTON. 

